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[size 1]As a fisherman for 33 years and a spearfisherman for 20, a hunter for 30 - man's impact on the aquatic environment has always been in my face. I think the causes are many, but most have one thing in common: apathy
If you ask me what his biggest shortcoming is in life, it's his tremendous shortsightedness and drive for self-satisfaction, not because he's doomed with those traits, but because apathy allows him self-indulgence at the expense of all else.
We hear all walks of man trumpet about "for the sake of our children!"
Yet he seldom thinks about children much past his own lifetime ... as if once he has passed on, it's not his problem anymore.I think this is a great opportunity for me to rant, so here goes. Bare in mind these are my personal opinions derived from personal observations from a good few countries I have been to, and my own ridiculous justifications I have used in the past in order to make life easier for myself.
1]Just by most people thinking "kids", they are already dooming earth's resources. Within every man is the deep-seated need of survival of his seed, so he breeds. Problem is how much more population can the earth handle? What's the point of children, if there is no more beauty, discovery and open space with the freedom to enjoy it? My wife and I have chosen to be childless.
2]If everybody keeps keeping their "bag limit", don't they realize that there are many who don't and therefore concensus, informed projection and theory are useless. I throw mine back as I know many do, in the hopes of compensating for those morons who think they need more than they could eat in a day just to show off their "catch". I don't even spearfish anymore.
3]Every creature in the water is part of a delicate ecosystem. People destroy coral or rape reefs of moluscs, and wonder why the fishing quality has gone astray. People continue to "cull" sharks in the thousands every year, but fail to realize that this in tern allows the over population of larger school fish who keep other smaller fish from over breeding etc.
4]How ##$%**!! hard is it to pick up your @#*&%!! trash (espescially those @##**!! little power bait bottles) and take it with you after you're done fishing in a spot??!! I was shocked to go to Utah a little while ago and find the lake shores in the condition they were. I used to brag to my wife how proud they were out there of their heritage and finding junk outdoors was harder to find than $10 bills on trees. What the heck happened? New York is bad (Lake Superior should sell Jigs and Lures for Junk, because I have caught more of it than fish there), but with the dense population you would expect it ... what's Utah's excuse? You can't imagine my embarassment when I took my wife to Jordanelle, Deer Creek and the Lower Provo only to find it littered with trash!
5]In Africa, vast tracks of coastline reefs have been denuded of both coral and moluscs for sale to tourists and to feed families. Now that resource is almost gone and the population is crying. What a joke! The huge populations living around many of the rivers have overfished them, poluted them and overgrazed areas to allow the rain to wash billions of tons of top soil into them every year. Those rivers haven't just changed as far as marine life goes, but agriculture and grazing have even changed their geography in as little as five years!!
My solution:
Saying we need to educate peolple isn't enough. It's vital, but not enough. Pouring monatary resources into helping clean up and recouperate is important, but not enough.
There two major ingredients missing from this: common sense and apathy - being accountable for your actions.
How do we enforce this? Not just laws. There aren't enough officials to enforce the smallest laws we have right now.
It's up to each and every individual to make sure he does his duty. Answer for himself and ridicule his fellow man (instead of pandering to ignorance and human "imperfection"). Then it becomes a community effort.
A communtiy where irresponsibility isn't tolerated not because it's unlawful, but because people are sick of having to have to swallow everybody else's @#$%!! because as individuals, many don't bother. A person being chastized or shunned by a community faces two choices: leave or change. If he leaves, he will soon run out of places to indulge his selfishness.
Seriously. I am so sick of people blaming government and authorities for their failures and not wanting to accept responsibilty for their own transgression and selfish actions. If half the earth decided to sit up, pay attention, face the facts -even when it didn't suit them - and take action AS NDIVIDUALS - families would change for the better, thus communities, local governments and globaly.
My philosophy is "Apathy is the first and most powerful weapon against patriotism, common sense, decency, knowledge, compassion and survival itself."
Even after being councilled by my grandfather for many years (he was a smart guy. Honourary member of eight African tribes, spoke twelve languages fluently and was the Commissioner for Native Affairs of the Transkei in the 50's), I never quite got what he meant when he would say "the world will only change for the better when evry person holds himself accountable not by persuasion, but by choice ... by the need to help his fellow humans and animals by a conscientious choice and disciplining himself to stay within that guideline".
It was a slow process of understanding, but I think I finally get it.
Rant accomplished.
-ABT- [/size]
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[cool][#0000ff]Wow. When you get started, you ain't easy to stop. All good points, but a saying we have in the USA (maybe Africa too) is that when you vent on this subject, on BFT, you are probably "preaching to the choir". In other words, most of us are totally with you. Folks who belong to an organized (sometimes) fishing group, especially those who check in on an environmental forum, are not the cause of most of those problems.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The problem is how to reach (and throttle) the trashers of our lovely waters and landscapes. Unfortunately, most of those guilty of leaving trash and causing damage are "low lifes" who do not care, and if they did they would not do anything about it, for fear those in their peer groups would laugh at them. In some groups it seems fashionable to deliberately destroy property or dump trash...almost like "marking territory".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The best we can do is confront the abusers when we catch them doing it. However, we need to be careful because many wackos are armed these days and confrontation could be dangerous. Better to record dates, times and license numbers and to take pictures with our digital phones or cameras. Then, make a report and hope it goes somewhere.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The same is true of game law violators. I have witnessed violations several times and as soon as I bring out my camera, or my cell phone (or fake it), those who are knowingly violating a law pack up their gear and beat it out of there. Since I am a rather large guy, they usually choose not to confront me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good post.[/#0000ff]
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Please don't think this was aimed @ BFT ... I can see by the subjects on here that pople are conservation and environmentaly conscious. I often write letters to various publications related or unrelated to outdoors in the hope to reach everyone. I always seize on an opportunity to vent in the hopes that it may change the thinking of even one individual.
I always open my mouth if I see folks litter, but in a low-key way. My favourite tactic is to say loudly enough for other people present to hear, "Excuse me, you forgot to take you trash with you."
If its a drunk, billigerent group who leave and don't take their trash with them, I'll pick it up myself. My wife and I always carry black garbage bags with us to pick up trash we find. If it's a lot of trash, we'll pick up and carry what we can and dump it at the first dumpster we find. It's no skin of my teeth do do a little extra work for the sake of both my sanity and the privelage of the outdoors.
-ABT-
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[cool][#4040ff]I don't think we perceived your "ranting" to be aimed at BFT members. It is obvious that you share our common frustration with all of those who mindlessly litter and destroy while out in our great outdoors.[/#4040ff]
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[#4040ff]I too have practiced cleanup on campsites and fishing areas for a long time. Even out here in "trashy" Utah, there are a lot of sportsmen who make it a practice to take plastic garbage bags along to clean up after those who don't. Only problem is that it is hard to keep up with the litterers.[/#4040ff]
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[#4040ff]Once, while hiking in the Sierras, in California, I was on my way down the trail after several days in the back country. Just as I approached a campsite, three young men were leaving it...fire still smoking and quite a bit of trash littering the ground. I yelled at them to get back and clean up their camp area and put out the fire. I could see the looks passing among them. There were three of them and only one of me. However, I was visibly hot and ready to take it to the next level if necessary. They picked up their trash and put water on the fire. I made them stuff the trash in their packs and followed them all the way down the trail to the parking area, where they dumped the trash. Not sure I would try that these days. I am older, slower and usually do not travel "armed". Unfortunately, you never know who is armed, so discretion is the better part of cowardice. I don't backpack much anymore but I still carry trash bags.[/#4040ff]
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Good for you TD! I hope they sh*t themselves.
By the way, I don't think Utah is trashy. It just seems to be the major lake areas that get punished.
But I have never seen trash up in the Nebo loop area, on any of the Park City trails (just some of the apartment blocks are apalling with the trash lying in the parking areas and the grass) or down in southern Utah, apart from the odd item.
What's so odd is as recently as 2000 I was swimming in Deer Creek just off the rocks alongside the I-40 without any worries of getting my feet slashed. Last year I think I saw more broken glass along there than water ... lol.
Who knows.... [crazy]
-ABT-
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I too am childless, one day I would like to have one, yes there is a strong yearn for survival of my species. Yet I know that the world could not handle my attempts to over populate my economics or personal living quarters, many religions, tribes and other animal species have done this in the past with a zero survival rate.
It truly  dens my heart, to be waning in faith of the security of the human race, how little do we realize that we are racing to our ends by greed of over population is the only tool that can fuel such greed.
If one ever stopped to look around them, they would not be able to dispute this fact. For it is only when one has stopped to look at the facts and except the divine truths that one would realize that every nation on this planet faces the same fate as ever other nation on this planet.
In all honestly do I believe that every man woman and child of this world will one day wake up and realize that less than half the population of this planet is productive and the remainder lay in peevish starvation and that by reducing the numbers of our population by a united consciousness’ realize that is the only way we can survive on this planet is by our own reproductive self restraints to peacefully and gradually reduce the stress we have placed on this planet, Like any other living creature this planet has the ability to heal for it is a living planet, but when the symbiotic human population grows to large it becomes a cancer that even this planet will not be able to withstand. Once the cancer spreads to far, reaching beyond its ability to restrain it self the doors of doom open.
These are the signs of the unavoidable doom our ancient ancestors spoke of thousands of years ago. Litter is but a sign of the uncaring nature of the self-indulgence you speak of.
Yet I am a fool, for I know in my heart that god has left us a way out, we have the choice, we do not have to walk down that road of doom, that book is a lesson of what we can expect if we do not become one, not in one religion but one in a common brotherhood. If one man woman or child suffers then the blame falls upon the heads of every one who has taken for the sake of self-gain no matter how it was self-righteously it was accommodated.
Dose this ranting have a point, of course, just today a man who has chosen to be an aid to those of human suffering who chose to work for FEMA, solicited a food vending company in New Orleans for 20 thousand dollars cash in return the company would be allowed to double and triple the chow line numbers reported to FEMA and make far more money.
We choose to wage wars in the name of money, and it take two to wage war, the resources spent on these wars can build shelters and feed and educated all the poverties of the world.
Thanks for getting me going, [  ]
Heaven IS looking down upon us, we can not hide from Heaven what it is we are doing down here,
As TubeDude stated you are singing to the quire, I just thought I would jump in for a chorus or two....
[font "Arial"][black][size 3]I too am constantly packing trash from out of the woods, rivers and lakes left behind by kids, hunters, anglers, PETA, adults and every day trash pick up blow out. True in a couple years it would disappear, but in a year the amount that collects more than doubles with the population growth combined with last years pile.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]Maybe one day every one will look past the hood of their Mercedes, yet I can still remember the Indian crying on television looking at the strip mining clear cutting and trash blown lands.[/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3][/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3]By the way, if you havent figured it out by now, I am a ranter too...[angelic][/size][/font]
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Ranting on a site like this is ideal. It's where you find others who care like you do and that gives one a great deal of encouragement!
-ABT-
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[font "Arial"][size 3][black]It does lead one on with the delusion that there is hope, but I fear that the corruption and greed on every side of every political stance has succumbed to the visualizations of personal gains.[/black][/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3][black] [/black][/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3][black]We will just have faith and to remember that the good book says that one hundred and forty four thousand of the lords choosing will lead when the new world free from the needs of self-gratifications. [/black][/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3][black] [/black][/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 3][black]Who knows who will be lords appointed select but we do know it is from these teachings that the select will find themselves with the courage, strength fortitude to stand up forthright in the presents of men and god.[/black][/size][/font]
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[font "Arial"][size 3][black]Do I believe I am one of those men? I am not sure, for one to say they do not feel the temptations, is an admission of guilt. To say that ones decisions are free of bios even in the passing of law in the supreme court of the land is an out right lie. For the supreme court should not be passing laws, that is the job of the people and should be voted upon by the will of the majority thus when we face the lords blessings of the wrath of his omnipotent presents it will be so by our own choosing and not thrust upon us by the greed of the few. [/black][/size][/font]
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[font "Arial"][black][size 3]Yes these delusions will one day come to become fact for corruption is the destroyer of world’s greatest of powers, don’t take my word for this, for one to see all one needs to do is open the history books, look at the great pyramids, dig in to the ruins of the roman empire, probe in to the writings of the Mayan and Incan jungles, amaze your self of the accomplishments of civilizations of ages ago, for they all fell by the same fate, “Corruption and Greed”. For no nation can stand against it self once its leaders have betrayed it for the sake of personal gains. This is Gods Truth.[/size][/black][/font]
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[black][size 3][black][black][size 3]If any one is not a believer of god, go home steel from your family and see what happens, a nation is a family and every man woman and child in that nation is a member of that family, and when one member steels[/size][/black] [/black][black][size 3]from that family it hurts the rest of the family as a whole and individually[/size][/black][font "Arial"][black].[/black][/font][/size][/black]
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[font "Arial"][black][size 3]Thus littering is a form of steeling, it steels from the beauty of the landscape, it steels the tax dollars from our pockets for some one will have to be paid to pick it up from the roadsides lakes and ponds, it steels from the homes of living organism who rely upon those few inches of ground to live and breed. It steels from every one who goes in to the wild to enjoy nature's budding of life. Spring is just weeks around the corner and many of us will once again be venturing in to the outback to see life's awakening, emagine what it would be like if you didnt have to stumbel over trash to see the bloom of the crocus and trillums and not have to turn over some ones beer can to find a mushroom.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Arial"][black][size 3]How do we make a difference? Tell your children, your grand children, your scout baseball football or any other youth group, tell your neighbors how you feel, lead by example, do as I do not as a would be pretender says. Walk in my path says Jesus Christ and you will come before the lord in grace and open arms. Follow any other path and you will live and die in a life trials and tribulations of deceptions, greed and swards of Armageddon. “WAR” [/size][/black][/font]
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[font "Arial"][black][size 3][cool] [black][black][size 3]Keep up the good work, You have defiantly chosen to take the high road, congratulations on seeing[/size][/black] [/black][black][size 3]the truth and having the strength to stand for your convictions[/size][/black][black].[cool][/black][/size][/black][/font][black][size 3] [/size][/black]
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[size 3]I will pick up at least one more bag this week from what is left of the wild in my area, I think that this is one area where bragging about picking up a bag full even if it is only a plastic grocery bag full will help in the area of cleaning and intice others to pick up a bag and brag about it....[cool][/size][/size][/font]
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Yeah I always carry a couple trash bags with me for my trash and others...I really can't stand cigarette packages.
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no doubt cigerett buts, cigerett selophane and foil rappers along with gum foil rappers lay there killing grass for ten years...
you would not beleive the number of hours I have spent just picking up gum rappers. I know they have been there for ever cause the foil had seperated from the paper.
when I worked for one of the beaches in my area years ago it was our job to pick up and comb the beach every morning before the sun bathers showed up. I didnt mind being on the beach early in the morning, quite enjoyable, but my time could have been better spent if I could have been repairing other sections of the park like benches tables water fountains. Ya may not beleive this but spending all that time on picking up cigerett buts off the beach and lawn surounding the beach set us behind at the end of the year, which means there were out houses that did not get repainted, tables that did not get repaired, benches that were pulled because it was deamed time consuming to have to maintenance them and the area around them.
I will have to grab my camera and take some pictures of the trash in the city parks around me because the city I live in deems that cleaning the park is a waist of funds.
There is one park near my home that I clean up once per week during the summer. I started cleaning it last year and for the first two month I spent 6 hours per week working on a one mile stretch picking up what hasnt been picked up in years.
I am not aposed to smoking, I am just not a fan of picking up cigerett buts. them filters are not bio degradable. I realy hate when some one comes over to my house and throws cigerett butts in my drive way or yard.
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No I'm not apposed to smoking either..but I know what you mean.
My wife and I started going to an ocean beach and doing clean up.
It's a real eye-opener..10 xtra large trash bags for about 6hrs of pick up
Sometimes I think..why bother..I'm not making a difference. But I know now EVERY bit helps,even if it is a little bit
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that is about what I pick up in 6 hours, ten extra strenth heavy duty six mill 50 gallon plastic bags. only I have an atv and a pickup truck to aid in my efforts. It helps to make up for the lack of an extra pair of hands. When I say I pick up trash last year by the ton, it is no exageration.
but once I got that stretch of road side cleaned from one side of the park to the other I could sweep the entire section in two hours and still have time to sweep the inside of the park as well.
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My wife and I always pick up after other people. I don't do it because i feel like it's my duty, I do it because it's an instinctive reaction.
If someone pees in my living room and I never saw who it was, I still have to clean it, i don't leave it there saying "I never did so therefore ... ". The Earth is my home, so therefore there is no difference to me.
It just blows my mind that a grown man can't pick up an empty can or -my personal favourite- those stupid little Power Bait bottles.
Those bottles are tiny. They could fit in any man's pocket. Even worse is that they are left there by fishermen! If I were a dictator I would sentence every lazy bastard litterbug caught, to live in a septic tank for six months with drain water and garbage as sustenance![sly]
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I don't do it because i feel like it's my duty, I do it because it's an instinctive reaction.
". The Earth is my home, so therefore there is no difference to me." Yeah, I totally agree.
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